Gelnika
by suikosen
Summary: A cynical Shinra disciple of Hojo follows in her mentor's ways to manipulate Sephiroth, but will she discover something more than just fame? Two unredeemed individuals learning the true art of being human.
1. Chapter 1

Him? A man I never got a chance to know. A child, still, in the end, entrapped within the claustrophobic prisons, a parody of sweet, pure childhood. I see that tormented young soul fixed in the frames of a notorious general…a hero people adored and later morphed into hatred for. The more poignant thing is not his absence from my side, but the absence of the voice of young Sephiroth from that concord of delighted children. I know.. no one ever got to hear his voice in the midst of the playing young ones…because it simply wasn't there. Syringes and bloodshed wasn't a common child's plaything. The battleground was never a healthy playpen.

Somewhere along the way he knew those fairy-tales were still a cruel mockery to him. Our incidental acquaintance was that one attempt that clawed helplessly at salvation, he was sure of it. He who knew that his soul will be buried in the deep abyssal misery of an unbroken, tormented past, stole a chance at aurochs and angels. No…hope was mercilessly shut upon him. Just as it was for him, now the fantasy of happily ever after will, in me, sink into a blissful oblivion.

Wrong was right for him the minute his life began. Sure.. it was Shinra who nurtured men into lethal weapons, it was Shinra who plan nothing short of a victorious march across battlegrounds… yet who was Shinra to impart morals? In Shinra there was only absolute fidelity or defiance, acknowledgement from the higher-ups or banishment to the low grounds. There was no room for compassion, no room for conscience, there was no semblance of the basic rights that determine one's existence as a human being.

He was but a puppet. A puppet which people adore for the victory it brought with bloodshed, and a puppet that was jerked to the reality of life as a lie, which people grew to depise..and subsequently forget.

How convenient is it to forget. How convenient it is to judge. The people that you fought to protect… how many of them can safely say that they have pass through the extent of his trauma? Let the person who do so throw the first stone.

Don't look at me that way. I am just a messenger. A messenger he and I are both grateful for. It wasn't love. It was more. It was about life. About the tragedy of that inexorable passage of time. Just like time, his life cannot be undone, the sins of his lunacy cannot be erased. He will remain, till now, till always… the Sephiroth we all hate.

The light is out, now we must sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: Many thanks to my first 2 reviewers. This is my first attempt at writing a long fan-fic, and much feedback is appreaciated! Fia is an OC, but I've tried my best to give this character depth, so do feedback! The first chapter is Fia's soliloquy at a certain point in the story later. Elena and Yuffie will be the other major characters, but their stories will be vastly different. Okay, here goes:

* * *

(6 Months before)

_Fia _

Junon. The famous port city and the second in power to Midgar. Despite the ongoing re-construction and repair works, the damage done by Weapon is still very much evident. It is a reflection of the wounds in the minds of the people…the experience of edging towards a possible annihilation still fresh and raw. To think that the ones leeching off the Planet are at present, the ones who are desperately restoring the Planet to its original form. Rufus Shinra had miraculously survived the blast by the robot Sister Ray…and the near-death encounter had apparently left a more humble and dedicated version of himself behind. Shinra have been struggling endlessly to undertake various measures to retain their status in the world after the collapse of Northern Crater and the subsequent demise of Sephiroth, which took place 3 months ago. Despite President Rufus' attempts to restore Shinra to its former glory..what is left of the fascist-like rule now, is a living mockery of the commanding presence it once held.

Wait.

Instead of reminiscing about the heydays of my long time employer, it should be better that I start worrying about my future, something I ought to do way earlier anyway. The Science department, after all, was the indirect cause of Shinra's fall. The field in Shinra which I can safely say, spelt most of my life.

My entire life was devoted to genomics in Shinra ever since I was 15…working on the Jenova Project II with my mentor, Prof Hojo. A number of breakthroughs in my individual research have earned me a position second in command to Hojo, and with that, I was posted to oversee research in the Junon branch of Shinra. Whatever happened in Midgar and all that action with the terrorist-rebel group Avalanche was pretty much contained within Midgar and undisclosed even to Shinra employees. With the end of the Meteor-crisis, the media, free from the influence of the authoritarian leadership of Shinra, was able to reveal skeletons in the closet and unravel Avalanche as the saviors of the Planet. Countless reports and news footage of the group continue to surface relentlessly though it has been 3 months since that fateful day. But the name Sephiroth remained etched in the minds of many people, a man, they believed, though buried but never forgotten.

The scale of destruction he had nearly brought upon this world induced guilt in me.

The events that rained on me remained difficult to swallow.

Was it right to resurrect a nightmare?

I don't know. I should not be worrying about this now. All that is crucial now is that the man could be tamed for the Gelnika tests.

Focus on what is at hand first.

* * *

_Elena_

"Hey! Want to go catch a movie or something? I've got tickets to this cool film, 'Chocobo Race'! We could ..arghh!" , she let out an exasperated groan. "God, I sound too fake and obviously desperate. Let's try this again."

Elena was in one of the bath-floors of the rebuilt Shinra Towers, 'rehearsing lines' for what she've known to be the umpteenth time. Clutching two ticket slips in her runny palms, she peered back at the reflection in the mirror. Short blond hair and large mahogany orbs were the most distinct traits in her petite frame. Elena frowned for a moment before unbuttoning her coat and flung it onto a nearby bench. The shirt isn't exactly figure-flattering, but I don't look that bad either. She struck a few of those fashion model poses in fashion magazines. And I've got nice long legs too. And if Shinra ever organize a pageant among the employees, I will win. Hands down. She nodded firmly and paused.

"Then why is it so hard for a hot blond like me to ask Tseng out!", she thought aloud.

"Cos hot blond melts into a puddle whenever she sets her gaze on Tseng. Either that or she goes all wobbly on the knees and start stammering at a speed of three words per second like a eight-year old pig-swill masher retard would."

Elena jumped at the sudden intrusiveness. Her expression of girly embarrassment morphed into a threatening mask of anger when her eyes fell upon her fiery-red haired counterpart, his attire in a mess as usual, who greeted her heated expression with that trademark smirk of his.

"Damn you, Reno. This is the Ladies…or do you not know how to read? Unless you have chucked your alcohol preference for human waste.. there's no need for you to go snooping around in toilets. Go get your booze and chicks somewhere else."

Reno chuckled and sauntered up to Elena, their faces mere inches apart. Elena almost gagged at his alcohol-stank breath.

"Hmm…I'm cool with booze for now. But fellow colleagues would be a pleasant change for me…you know..",he looked down at her semi-Turk attire, "I could do with less on you." He whispered huskily.

Elena shut her eyes and took a deep breath, before jerking her knees up swiftly into Reno's crotch.

"What fuck! Can't you take a joke, rookie?" Despite his pain, he managed a countenance of mock-hurt. 'The chicks in Midgar will never forgive you for doing this to me.'

"Do you think I will be bothered with what your harlots think?' Elena spat out with obvious disgust. 'And don't you dare spill stuff about me to anyone." , snatching up her coat from the bench before strutting out of the room.

"If you were half the tigress you are right now, Tseng would have taken a second look at you dude!" Reno's muffled voice boomed from behind the door.

Elena sighed and continued tracing her steps back to the Turks quarters. There wasn't anyone in the lounge. She felt that familiar sink in her again. Just as well, she thought, I wouldn't know what to say even if he was here. Things will probably get awkward anyways. She gave another sigh before relaxing into the soft cushioned seats.

* * *

_Fia_

My gaze trailed upwards to the velvety skies above. It was the same sunset. Crimson streaked across a clear, cloudless lavender blanket before fading gradually into a light turquoise. The serenity of nature would have given me a feeling of quiet, comfortable peace. But his troubling presence created an unsettling tension, the air almost stale. I took a deep breath to steady my composure and stepped to the figure lying on the sterile clean, white lab table.

"This is the second dose for the day." I informed the still form, taking a syringe from the side table and inserting it into a container-tube of mako energy.

Placing the slightest pressure on his arm to keep it steady, I sunk the needle into a thin vein. My concentration shifted from the familiar green liquid to the unmovable countenance of the man I was engaged with. He did not winced one bit. Nor did his sharp, hard features showed any signs of distress. I was curious at the way he seemed to find these procedures…familiar, as if he was used to seeing them all the time. He probably is. All members of SOLDIER had taken mako. But he was different. I had the feeling that it wasn't just within the lab alone, but with the rest of the world. It is as if he has transcended this dimension, that nothing here can affect him. 'Enigma' would be an underrated term to describe him, I thought.

It took the burning glare with those stark, bright emerald orbs of his to break me out of my semi-trance.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, "I am sorry."

In my haste, I had jerked the thick steel needle out of his vein, tearing the needle site a little. Grabbing some cotton balls by the side, I dabbed anxiously at the tiny wound, where a bright crimson was flowing through steadily.

_Calm your nerves, Fia Meraque, what's wrong with you?_ Almost immediately, my mind echoed: _Everything. You've gone way out of your usual composed demeanor ever since he happened. _

I stole a look at the man. He was wearing a thin smile on his pale, crusted lips, his eyes taking in an odd interest at the sight of his blood. He intrigued me. Once again, I wonder if what I am doing is right. Or safe. Either way, there is no turning back.

* * *

a/n: Please bear with me with the first few chapters as there will be alot of Fia's reminiscing her past. I need to give this character a bit of depth. As to how she got Sephiroth out of the Crater, it will not be mentioned in the story. 


	3. Chapter 3

Evening was settling in when I ushered him out of a rundown private exit of the Shinra labs. To my relief, the guards on duty were posted at the main entrance. The streets ahead were deserted. Not an uncommon sight in this side of town. Being home to Shinra's Junon branch-quarters, civilians took special care to stay out of its presence. The sparse alleyways and lack of life here showed just how much the people had forgiven Shinra for its near-destruction of the Planet. Either way, I was grateful. Smuggling a 6'3 figure clad in black would be highly questionable and suspicious to anyone in sight.

I trotted up the stone steps of my small double-storey dwelling and pulled a bunch of keys out of my coat pocket. The cold is really getting to me, I thought as I struggled with the heavy oak door for seconds before opening it. Without waiting for a welcoming gesture, he strutted into the empty dark sitting room. I could have swore I saw him winced for the slightest bit when I flicked the light switch on. Looks like he isn't a lover of light.

"Take a seat." I offered, removing my coat and setting it aside.

The fireplace began to burn a cheery blaze with a few solid planks of firewood fed to it. He was still standing stiffly near the door.

"Here, let me." I proceeded to take the massive black cloak off his shoulders when a gloved hand circled my wrist almost instantly, wringing it tightly. An involuntary gasp escaped my lips as I struggled helplessly from his powerful grip.

'Don't.', he hissed softly yet menacingly, his eyes narrowed threateningly before releasing it abruptly. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he calmly took a seat in front of the hearth, his gaze fixed on the bright lapping flames, as if in a trance.

I numbly rubbed my wrist slowly. It is amazing how the mere number of mako doses have recovered his strength so rapidly. Was he really as invincible as what they have made him out to be? Perhaps I underestimated this man. It was no fault of mine though. Being cooped in labs for 8 years tends to numb one to everything of the world outside.

When the only breathing things you interact with are micro-organisms and lab-mice, your social skills with people tend to disintegrate a little. It has come to a point in time when my main state of emotion hardens into one of indifference.

* * *

"Your system has just started functioning again, so it will be unwise for you to take solid foods."

I was in the kitchen overlooking the hall. He had not moved from where he was sitting in front of the fire, neither did he respond to me. Thanks to the grocer's lady who had kindly supplied me with baby food, I was able to prepare a few satchels of semi-liquid food. It isn't much nutrition for him, but he can't eat much anyways, given his current condition. I inserted a long tube into the satchel and walked over to him.

"You can put this in your mouth and start eating. I will check to see if your body is suitable for normal foods in a few days time."

He reached out, but instead of receiving the satchel, his gloved fingers seized my wrist. He held my eyes, and once again, his chilly and unsettling presence began to suffocate me. I quivered.

"Why are you doing this?"

I racked my mind for an apt reason.

The grasp on my wrist tightened. He isn't going to give up until I make clear my identity, but revealing my true objectives was out of the question. The pain in my wrist was becoming excruciating. I had no choice.

"I am one of you, Sephiroth. An Ancient."

* * *

The pub was relatively quiet for a Thursday night. People were strewn on barstools and couches, chilling out in small groups. It was indeed a relaxing atmosphere with the jazz music playing softly in the background. But I needed more than that to calm my nerves.

" A Hoegaarden please." I nodded to the bartender, sliding a twenty-dollar bill in his hands.

Thoughts ran back to what happened just a few hours ago. It was only the first night I smuggled him home from the lab, and the tension was enough to drive me nuts. If not for Adam's call, I probably will end up tearing my hair off. It was just typical of Adam, always lending a warm hand or a reassuring hold on the shoulders. We met when I was still under Prof Hojo in Midgar, when he was still a junior-rank soldier. He was a plain jerk when I first knew him. A ladies man and a professional flirt, just like the other hot-blooded males in SOLDIER. It took one of my rare emotional outbursts to stop his teasing, and it had earn me a friendship ever since. I don't frequent pubs, but Adam being in town for a short while and the fact that I needed to get out of that hell hole for a while made me agree readily. But what will _he _be doing right now? Still sitting in front of the fire?

A pair of strong arms enveloped me. I only know too well who it is. The familiar embrace was Adam's signature greeting.

"Meraque! God, it's been so long!"

I nodded and held on to Adam longer than I should have. It was a much-needed comforting embrace. The cloud of night in me was mounting to the point of posing an acerbic presence. The bartender broke the moment by sliding my order and the change across the bar top where I was perched.

"So how's it goin' at Junon? You look worn out. Too much work?"

"Yeah…the research for Gelnika was rough." I took a swig of beer and wrinkled my nose at the sudden bitterness that greeted my taste buds. Being a scientist meant that you have to be sober at all times, plus I wasn't exactly a fan of alcohol.

"Gelnika?"

"It's that project I was working on when I was still in Midgar under Prof Hojo."

"The one you started on 5 years ago? It's got something to do with mako and recombinant gene therapy eh?"

I can't help but smile at the fact that Adam still remembers such details. My fascination with genomics always dominated our conversations, and he never seemed to mind. I'd actually like to think that he already have enough knowledge on the field to come help me out at the labs after he retire from SOLDIER.

"It wasn't difficult inserting the specific DNA segment of the Ancient Holy Magic into the carrier bacteria to produce Gelnika. The Ancient Holy Magic is believed to destroy Jenova cells, but the tough part comes with the availability of "guinea pigs". I can't just test Gelnika on any ordinary lab mice."

"Didn't you tell me once that you smuggled some of the sperm sample of Sephiroth required of him when he was still in SOLDIER?"

"Yes. I managed to fertilize some of my eggs with the sample on cell dishes. But for some reason it didn't work. The embryos disintegrated a week later." I cleared my throat. This is going to be hard. "I have found the perfect specimen though."

"Which is..?"

I met Adam's brown eyes, now filled with inquisitiveness. I whispered, "Sephiroth himself."

His reaction was predictable. "Fia, that's a poor attempt at a joke. You're not one to goof around, doc."

"You are right about my not being the kind to goof around."

I took his hand in mine, drawing my lips close to his ears. I didn't want to run the risk of letting people overhear the conversation. "I knew Gelnika will fail if I didn't get the right sample to test the drug on. I knew I had to risk it and headed for Northern Crater 2 weeks ago. He was barely alive under the rubble in the Crater."

"Have you any idea what you have brought back to the world? Do you know how many millions of people will be endangered because of your experiment!" He gave my hand a frantic grasp. "Fia, don't do this. Anesthetize him and put the guy where you found him. Shut the whole Gelnika thing down."

"Adam, every scientific breakthrough involves risks. Gelnika, if successful, will benefit the millions who are suffering from the effects of mako now. Won't you want to see me get acknowledgement for something I have been working so hard on for so many years?"

"Fia, you are being selfish. Gelnika have not even proven to be effective, but Sephiroth have been proven to be a catastrophe to the world. Don't you even realize how powerful and dangerous the man is? You can't just risk lives because you want to make advancements in science. It's not right, Fia."

I gave a bitter snort. "We are thinking on different wavelengths, Adam. That is why I am a scientist and you will always remain fighting outside on the field."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe you said that, Fia." He withdrew his hand from mine. "I know I ain't as intelligent as you or any other scientist. But at least I know the value of human life."

"Adam..I didn't mean it that way. I just need you to understand my reasons for doing what I am doing."

"Darlin', you know that I've always been supporting you all this while. I can't do the same this time. It's all wrong. Give it a thought, Fia."

With that, he left the pub. So much for a gathering for old friends.

* * *

I'm grateful to those who have read and reviewed my story. It means a lot. Anyways, I've received feedback that I should include the part where Fia rescued Sephiroth from the Northern Crater, since my version of the battle's outcome(Avalanche and Sephiroth's) is obviously different from the game's. I've actually wrote out that particular battle scene ages ago, but I felt it was difficult to insert that segment anywhere in the story, plus it wasn't exactly well written.(I suck at fighting scenes) So I need more feedback as to whether posting this scene is necessary. I understand that some readers might be confused, but the story isn't taking a strictly chronological approach, so it might still need a few more chapters before you guys get the full picture. 


	4. Gelnika Interlude

For clarification's sake:

Sephiroth is not dead, but is kept barely alive by a weakened Jenova.

The story officially starts from the time Sephiroth was brought back to the Shinra labs, but due to feedback, I have placed everything which happens before that- Sephiroth being rescued from the Crater- in the form of an interlude. I think the flow of the story will be disrupted if I tried to fit it in later chapters. So, view this interlude as "additional information" ya?

In my version, which is slightly different from the game, Cloud did defeat Sephiroth but did not kill him. Avalanche had to escape due to the near collapse of the Crater, and Sephiroth was left buried in the rubble. I actually have written out this particular battle scene(which isn't all that spectacular) and you guys can take a look at it below. But I reiterate that this entire initial segment is not a focus I've intended to go into.

Many others have done excellent versions of the "resurrection" of Sephiroth (Check out Dark Beauty's The man in the stone), and I wanted my story to have a different focus. My focus is not on how Sephiroth was rescued, but how he was manipulated in the post-Meteor situation.

* * *

He narrowed his eyes in concentration, bringing upon the battleground the ancient dark magic of Hades.

With swift reflexes, Cloud bolted to a corner, forming a thin barrier around himself. The summon magic that the Jenova-endowed Sephiroth wield is way superior to theirs, he thought. If the silver haired warrior's barrier is still impenetrable, then..damn..he didn't want to think about it.

The party, despite the barrier, was violently flung to the back of the chamber. Mustering all the power of will and strength in her, Yuffie scrambled to her feet with the speed of a ninja, retaliating with a summon combo of Leviathan and Phoenix.

"I will protect my people, whatever it takes…not even you, Sephiroth, can take that right away from me..' channeling mental strength into the deepening ruby orb, 'Unleash thy power, faithful one!"

As the water-based dragon and majestic sunset-painted bird merged their powers and unleashed the force upon Sephiroth, Tifa seized the chance to cure the party fronting the battle, throwing a couple of potions to Cloud, Yuffie and Vincent. The translucency surrounding Sephiroth was visibly thinning as the summoned withdrew into their individual dimension.

"His barrier is fading…now's the time!"

Cloud bellowing resembling that of a battle cry, led the party to an offensive position with renewed vigor. Without missing a beat, he charged at Sephiroth with a clever and swift double cut on the latter's front. Sephiroth managed a swift slice at Cloud's arm, subsequently missing another attempt at a possibly fatal blow at his ex-subordinate's throat. Cloud dodged another time from the Masamune before dealing his opponent a strike at the neck, and in an instant, retreat to the back to allow the rest of Avalanche to pummel Sephiroth.

**_Mother..bless me with thy power…_**

****

Sephiroth struggled with another attempt at creating a barrier.

_**Why won't you answer me!**_

****

Cloud's party was clearly getting the upperhand now, charging forward incessantly..and a gradual numbness began to overpower his senses..

_**No..this will not be the e..**_

****

He was caught off guard as Tifa smashed the barrier and shot a nuclear-like force into Sephiroth's chest. Without missing a beat she slammed him to the ground with a flex of her elbow.

"For my father..." She whispered bitterly.

He, now visibly beaten, stared back at his opponents, the sinister arrogance still strong in his eyes as he presented the Black Materia in his gloved hand with a smirk. It was only too clear to them that Sephiroth was summoning Meteor unto the Planet. Cloud took a deep breath. The Black Materia was gathering light. A ecstasy-like surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins. He now charged towards the crumpled man aiming at a deliverance of a blow which will be his most powerful yet.

Cloud's sword never reached its target. The chamber, rather, the entire crater, began to jerk insanely, and the heroes were threw off balance in a increasingly stifling air choked with the decades of dust particles. The rubble was quickly gathering at their feet as rock loosened and fell off the ceilings and sides of the chamber.

"Cloud! Cloud!" Tifa rushed across the quaking grounds to her comrade, "The crater is collapsing! We must get out of here or we will be buried alive!"

"He's not dead yet!"

'Don't be a fool Cloud! He will be buried under!' Tifa tugged helplessly at Cloud's sleeve. Her other comrades were already scrambling out. More rocks began to tumble over. It will only be a matter of seconds before the entrance gets blocked by the rubble.

"Cloud please!", she pleaded frantically.

Within minutes the rest of Avalanche were out of the depths of the Crater, panting endlessly from the mad rush they made. They watched in silent anticipation as the crater began to gave way. A large slab of rock at the entrance of the Crater was already edging apart. Then, like the escapees from an action blockbuster, Cloud and Tifa burst right through before the slab of rock smothered the entrance of the Crater. The physical fatigue left all of them plastered on the snow covered grounds. A daze fell over them as they watch the Crater crumbling rapidly for a full 5 minutes, before the quake ends with a deafening echo sounding from the buried depths.

"The guy's done for. So is Meteor..I guess." Yuffie mumbled, still unbroken from her trance.

* * *

I had no choice. The embryos created from Sephiroth's sperm samples disintegrated prematurely, and there were no better specimen to test Gelnika on. What's the use of developing something when you can't track the effects of it accurately? He seemed an irrational alternative, but as I've said, it's the only way out. The body might have already been completely destroyed by the quake which followed the last battle. But the prospects of Gelnika were getting dimmer by the minute, and I can't allow my efforts all those years to go to wrack and ruin. 

With just a few medical supplies, a basic set of winter gear and totally defenseless when it comes to physical combat, I was risking it. The place is probably swarming with monsters. The disquieting fears of the unknown were pushed to the back of my mind as I laid out my plans for the trip. I intended to smuggle the body, or at least parts of it back to my Junon lab. I can duplicate the DNA from his skin cells and organ tissues to develop active cells to be used as sample testing, without resorting to the tedious methods of developing embryos like I tried for the past year. Provided I manage to find the corpse.

The chill was biting into my sore shoulders when I reached a tiny village half a mile from the Crater. Night was already settling in then. I drove a rented land buggy here, but I knew I did not possess the physical strength to successfully smuggle the body out of the Crater. I need the build of a couple of men to do that, and the evening gave me enough time to scout for appropriate candidates. I sound the innkeeper out, and circumstances could not be more advantageous. This tiny rustic community of people had minimum contact with the rest of the technologically driven world. Even the threat of Meteor then was barely an issue; they were struggling with very immediate concerns of an impoverished situation like a limited food supply. People in such circumstances meant three things: No possible leakage of information to Shinra, lesser sensitivities towards the Sephiroth issue, and eager supply of young men to help get Sephiroth's body out. It took a mere couple of grand to get myself a couple of hunters well equipped with battle skills.

The situation at the Crater was more complicated than I'd expected. There were narrow tunnels and caves formed from the larger slabs of rock and sedimentary stone, and the air was so stale it is almost impossible to breathe in. We had to navigate our way through one of the larger tunnels and try our luck before nightfall where the occurrence of monster attacks would be more rampant. The impossibility of the task became more glaring. But the turning point came when one of the men observed a steady line of blood-stained foot tracks.

We traced it to a chamber where the entrance was blocked by a considerable-sized slab of rock. Rays of a faint luminous green seeped from the corners of the entrance. I knew the situation was better than expected. My ambitions rose. I needn't rely on duplicating his skin cells; a live specimen who is able to translate the effects to me vocally was more than I could have wished for. Fortunately, the men brought instruments to crumble the block. And there was the figure clad in a massive cloak, bathed in a weak green.

My attachment to Prof Hojo and involvement in Jenova Project II tells me that Jenova was weakening rapidly. It will soon be unable to keep Sephiroth alive. I approached the unconscious form. His pale crusted lips and the rest of the chiseled-face was covered with a thin film of dust. I didn't know then, whether, his silver hair was natural or simple covered by the grey dust. I anesthetized the form to avoid dealing with a struggling man who might still have enough deposited strength to kill. I laid out orders to transport the man out of the Crater immediately. I paid the rest of the promised sum to the men, and took off in the land buggy.

Links were erected between the main continents as part of President Rufus's reconstruction plans, so the path ahead was pretty smooth. I just had to be careful to give repeated anesthetic doses when we are nearing petrol stations. Another hurdle was the one back at my Junon lab, but I had the spare set of keys and the laid-backed Shinra security guards to my advantage. What can I say? Everything is falling into place. Just as it should.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I know this whole interlude thing suck. I churned Fia's part out in the last minute. But I hope most doubts are cleared for now! To let you on a bit, the outline of the entire story is out. Of course, the difficulty lies in drafting the events out in detailed writing. I'm having my college break now, which is why I can update often. However, I am unsure as to when this story will eventually be completed as I will be heading for to Germany for 5 weeks, after which the new college semester will begin. Grades are always on the top of my list, so no concrete promises of any sort, sorry. Meanwhile, I sure hope more reviews come in so that I will be motivated to write more (now that I am still free to do so), and it will make it easier for me to complete _Gelnika. _The ending's cool, I swear! Anyways, I must thank the two only faithful reviewers of the story, **_Scitzo and Psyco _**and**_ VenusBlade._** It means so much to a freshie like me. Okay,now for individual responses: 

**_Scitzo and Psyco_**_As far as Sephiroth is concerned, he knew Fia brought him back for a purpose.(which she has not revealed to him yet). The whole situation between the two is tense for the moment. None has confronted the other in any way yet, but hang on there! Things will not stay this way for long. Sephiroth is a lot weaker after the battle with Cloud, but he still has the potential to inflict harm, especially on people who are clueless about defense skills like Fia. Of course, he will not be powerful enough to take on people like Cloud and the rest of Avalanche, so probably that's the reason for him lying low at the moment. He is definitively still waiting for a chance to strike. Fia doesn't keep Sephiroth under drug control- she is taking a risk right there- but she convinces him she means no harm. After all she did get him out of the Crater. It is really a business-exchange kind of relationship between the two—for now. Sephiroth definitely isn't grateful, he just thinks this isn't a good time to do anything drastic yet._

_**VenusBlade: **I don't really enjoy flat characters, which is why the characterization of Fia is crucial to me. Eccentric people intrigue me, and I wish to portray this character in a similar manner. I am a real crazy fan of Elena/Tseng pairing, and I was always puzzled with Tseng's reluctance to hook up with such an eligible bachelorett. I've thought up a major reason why, and I am so eager to share with FFVII fans, I needed to add them in the story. Don't worry, the whole story will flow pretty well, I hope. _


	5. Chapter 4

I never fully comprehend the term 'family'. If anything, Shinra was the closest to home I would ever get. My life in Shinra had begun with my mentor Prof Hojo when I was a 15-year old kid, whose only companions were the wonders of biological science. Few actually knew that I played an integral role in the development of Jenova Project II. Hojo utilized the expertise of one of his more outstanding students to aid him in the research and pronuclei injection of Jenova DNA into embryos. The whole Project, despite Prof Hojo's dedication of his entire life to it, had limited success.

Prof Hojo was the central figure at many points in my life, but loyalty and fervor were terms which were rarely acquainted with those in Shinra. Everything was carried out with mutual concession, conducted with a business-like air, and with the end of every exchange came the detachment of obligations. Simple, and no strings left hanging in the air. The un-spelt understanding of such relations was more than clear between me and my mentor.

We were, in a way, business partners. He needed my expertise, I needed him to climb up the social ladder of Shinra and his extra help in getting my research efforts recognized. Be hailed as a great figure in the progress of Science, just as Prof Gast and Prof Hojo did. My chance came when I turned 18, and was sent off on an errand to Junon to deliver sperm samples by SOLDIER back to the HQ in Midgar.

I've always heard of the legendary figure of Sephiroth who possessed extraordinary physical advantages, and with news of his demise breaking out at the same time, it suddenly occurred to me that his sperm sample may be of use to my research somehow in the future. My discoveries also included many notes on Prof Gast's research work, one of which was a study on Jenova resistant genes.

Unknown to Prof Hojo, it was on this one particular errand he sent me on that set me on a path isolated from the goals of Shinra that I've followed since young. I could finally, tread on young feet the beginnings of a possible breakthrough, which I believe, will make an eternal imprint in the history of science. Shortly after the commotion relating to the fall of General Sephiroth died down, it was decided that I, one who was more than familiar with the research advancements and procedures within Shinra, be appointed to a permanent position in the newly set up research center in Junon.

The smooth movement of events falling into place, the latest one allowing me to more freely develop this secret project of mine, gave me firm belief that I would one day, triumphantly ascend into the ranks of scientific pioneers with much ease. I didn't need to be intimately acquainted with sickeningly affectionate and emotional terms like family or home. These were essential to the vulgar herd, but I am different from the common people. Emotional attachments are vines of support for the feeble to cling on. I have a sole light in my life which denies me the luxury of entertaining such distractions, the light of success.

* * *

It was a dry afternoon, at the Shinra HQ building, which was fully revamped not so long ago. The Turks were gathered at an individual section of the building which was strictly reserved for their department. 

"As you all know, there is a clan in the outskirts of Cosmo Canyon that has been gaining quite some influence lately." Tseng flipped the switch and a mug-shot of a man was projected on the screen. "This old guy here is Ki, the leader of Shomen-Ki.". Another picture replaced the previous one, this time a man with an intense gaze in his dark green orbs, ebony locks shielding part of his face from view. "This is Ren, the right-hand man of Ki. We haven't got much information on him, except that he practices the hypnotizing arts and has a lot of power in the clan. Perhaps even more than Ki himself."

"He looks gay." Reno commented.

Tseng shot the red-hair buff a glare.

Reno raised his hands in mock-surrender. "Chill, Boss. So what you wan' us to do? Kill 'em?"

"Not exactly. Shinra is still recovering from the financial situation caused by Meteor and all the ongoing repair works. Mr President had expressed a concern that he want to prevent any form of hostilities, whether is it from Shomen-Ki or Godo from Wutai. The last thing we want is an invasion on Junon or Midgar."

"Tseng, just tell us what's this mission's about."

"I was going to. We need to check on the arsenals of Shomen-Ki, and see exactly how much weaponry and how many troops exactly they possess. Mr President will then decide whether to continue with the repair works in the rest of Midgar, or to abandon all plans for now, and devote resources to buff up SOLDIER and Shinra's troops for a possible invasion." Tseng brought up a sheet of paper and paused for a while, his brows furrowed in concentration.

As usual, Elena was hardly vocal in the meeting. Her gaze flickered from Tseng to some other random object for the entire time. The last thing she wanted is to be caught staring at Tseng like a lovesick high school girl. Her eyes traced from his raven locks which framed the chiseled features, to his thin lips, which he time and again ran his tongue across. A habit she noticed, whenever he was focused on something.

Unexpectedly, he lifted his eyes slowly to meet hers, as if he knew she had been watching him intently for some time. Elena broke the gaze and looked away, embarrassed.

"Elena and Rude, you will act as undercover spies in Shomen-Ki for 2 weeks. Get information on the vital decision makers in Shomen-Ki and details on the type of weaponry, and the amount. Check out how many troops and reinforcements they have, their naval bases and warships. Don't forget about the tanks and long range mass attack weaponry too. Get packed soon, you are leaving in 2 days' time. Questions?"

A leaden hopelessness rose in her. Another mission. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that he was deliberately trying to get her out of his sight. She took out the ticket stubs from her pocket and stared after Tseng, which was already leaving the room. She felt a nudge from behind.

"Go on, ask 'im. If ya don't act fast, you might come back in 2 weeks time to find him fished up by a hottie. Ya might've blown your chance already." Reno whispered.

She paused for a moment. Tseng was already heading for the main door. To the hell with what people think, she thought and jolted in his direction.

"Tseng, wait up!"

He spun around with a questioning look cast upon his stolid features.

"I..Because… Yeah, my friend stood me up, and I have an extra ticket. I thought maybe if you are free this evening, you can have the extra ticket..so.." she drew off..waiting for a reaction from him.

His eyes settled upon the petite form before him, an unreadable expression on his disposition. Elena fixed her gaze on him, trying her best to maintain her composure. She could have sworn there was a hint of distress hidden in the shades of ebony.

_Come on..don't be such a damn pessimist! Please say yes, Tseng..._

Her heart will leap out if he didn't give her an answer soon.

"My apologies, Elena. The paperwork in my office is piling up and I can't tear myself away from them just yet."

It was that same cold, heavy grip in her heart. Elena managed to gather the broken pride and her facial muscles together to muster a weak smile. "It's okay."

He nodded curtly at her before taking off without another word. She stared after him, before burying her flushed face in her hands with an exasperate groan. It's like the twenty-third failure already. What a loser, Elena.

* * *

I knew that I had to tread carefully. Any suspicion on his side and my neck can easily be snapped by his immense strength. I had to feed and soothe this guinea pig into submission. Work the strings of the puppet with skill before I get the bite. 

"Ancient."

He stood at the entrance of my bedroom, his imposing figure dominating the doorframe. The ruddy color of his cloak was faded and the leather on it was flaking. The armor fitted on his upper torso was rusting and patches of mould and mildew cover the rest of the apparel. A decayed form which still held the breath of life on his charred lips.

"You are lying."

"No, I'm not."

He crossed the room in a flash and had my neck in his grip before I could even move a whisker.

"You are lying". He repeated in the same mechanical tone, his eyes clouded with mistrust.

He wasn't crushing my windpipe, but I knew he was close to doing so. I had to act fast. I held his gaze before closing my hand to the letter-cutter behind me. I had to take a gamble.

Before he could jerk the instrument out of my hand, I thrust the blade into my wrist and tore at the skin vehemently. A fresh crimson stained my forearm almost immediately, escaping in rapid streams onto the tiled ground. I wore a grim and stormy mask as I got out the apparatus required to scan my blood samples for traces of mako. Endeavoring to remain sober, I stumbled my way around the grotesquely stained floor and furniture.

I knew he will start demanding evidence of my claim as an Ancient. Heavy doses of mako injections were the best bet for me. By infusing myself with mako, I could convince Sephiroth that I possessed in me, the life-force of an Ancient. Of course, by doing this, I was no different from those in SOLDIER, who are forced by Shinra to take the stuff. A few times the mako-poisoning had endangered my life. But I am too far gone now to care. Gelnika has become a part of me, and I will stop at nothing to set it as a milestone in biological science.

Minutes later, I flashed the test results on the screen and turned to the recumbent statue expectantly. Despite my vision getting increasingly foggy by the seconds, I could make out from his disposition that he was convinced. I lost consciousness the moment later.

* * *

A/N: (Just in case the whole wrist slashing thing left a question mark) Fia tried to prove that she was an Ancient by using her blood samples to scan for high levels of Lifestream's presence-i.e. mako. Of course the way she got the blood samples were somewhat dramatic, but I think you know why she did that. 

Oh, and reviews keep me going, so be generous!


	6. Author's Note

I know you are probably expecting an update, but I'm really sorry to say that there won't be one, not at least for the next 6-7 weeks. I am going on a long trip overseas, and upon returning, I will be tearing my hair over college stuff for the upcoming semester. Rest assured, though, that I am not giving up on this fan fic. Not the least bit. It's just that I haven't got great ideas in my head these days. Plus, the next few chapters focus on the interaction between Sephiroth and Fia. I absolutely want to do a decent presentation of the relationship, instead of churning out clichés exposed to readers for the umpteenth time. So, guys, don't give up on this fic cos I sure as hell am not.

_**Scitzo and Psyco: **No, I am not exactly fond of James Bond movies. Hollywood blockbuster action stuff is not really my thing. It does seem like I am jamming way too much stuff, which can possibly result in an unnecessarily complicated plot. I will try not to let that happen! I am an avid manga fan, and there was this character with incredible hypnotizing skills that left an impression on me. Rest assured that he is in the story for a good reason. As for Fia, I would say she is overly practical than cold-hearted. After all, she didn't have a chance to interact with people—her social skills are obviously slightly off-track. Not to mention Sephiroth himself isn't exactly what we label a normal person._

_Her friendship with Adam shows that she does warm up to people, it really depends on circumstances._


	7. Chapter 5

_Ten year old Elena didn't know what to do. Just yesterday, Papa was dishing out helpings of broiled fish onto the plates, his bright eyes laughing merrily at Elena. Mama was in the kitchen keeping an eye on the banana nut cake. Everything was warm and cozy. And safe. A phone call informed her that her parents were killed in a blast. So did the TV news. All is gone now. She stared around her. The house seemed all at once too big, too gloomy and silent. Everything stilled, save the sound of her steady breathing._

_Elena jerked to the creaking of the front door. A young man in a ponytail and a dark suit stood at the entrance for a moment, before making his way towards her. Her heart thumped faster as the sound of his footsteps on the wooden planked floor drew closer. "Social security? Are they going to put me up for adoption? Assassins? Have they come to kill me too?" The rushing stream of thoughts halted when she felt a firm grip on her small shoulders. She stared up into his dark eyes. " You've been told that your parents were killed in an accident. Shinra sent for you. Do not worry. I am here to help you." The last words stayed with her. It's been a rollercoaster ride for her ever since. The young man, whom she later got to know as Tseng arranged for her to live in Shinra property, which were intended for poorer Shinra employees who couldn't afford a place of their own. She dropped school and took up odd jobs, waitressing, delivering messages, house cleaning before she was old enough to enroll into SOLDIER. There she trained hard for 2 years before entering into the new ranks of Turks. The last words he spoke had stayed with her. And upon working with him, those words, his deep reassuring voice rang softly in her ears once more. And she thought it would become her kind of fairytale._

"I need practice."

That was the first utterance from him since 3 days ago. He had his regular meals, and regular doses of Gelnika and that was it. I figured there isn't any need for socializing with a lab rat anyway, in fact, more talk might just make me spill the beans instead.

"I need practice.", he repeated calmly.

I stared at him, clueless at his cryptic expression, prompting him to add. "My skills have been rusty after all that hibernating in the Northern Crater. I need a well-sized field to practice in."

This time, I had an incredulous look on my face. Is he aware that he is quite an unwelcome sight to the rest of the world? Apparently not.

"You should consider the situation you are in presently. There will be Shinra employees who will report you to the higher ups, and I do not wish to see Cloud Strife and company whisking you off before we can decipher the effects of Gelnika in your body."

He gave a bitter snort, eyes never leaving mine.

"Those midgets just got lucky the last time."

I was beginning to lose my cool with this man. All that display of male bravado can wait till I see positive results from the experiments. After that, he can get shot down by Shinra snipers or clawed up by wolves for all I care.

" Remember that your body is an important site for the Gelnika experiments. You should not compromise what is crucial for the survival of the Ancients. As for your much needed practice, your sword didn't usurp victory then…won't it be better that you drop the butcher act, and consider using a machine gun instead? Swords are kind of old in season already." I strode out of the room, trying not to giggle at the sight of a boiling Sephiroth.

I made a trip back to the Junon labs, just in case anyone grew suspicious at my absence. There was word going around that Rufus was planning to tackle the rising threat of Shomen Ki in the South, and they were that desperate for strength that they were even rallying for allies in the form of former anti-Shinra rebel group Avalanche. Although the thought of collaboration between the two got me slightly worried, a greater relief came from the fact that attention will be diverted to the movements in the South, thus allowing me ample time to work on Sephiroth.

When I got home, I was greeted with a horror scene. The living room was in shambles, large pieces of wood which were once my coffee table, were scattered all over the carpet. And there was Sephiroth, working up a sweat at dissembling my couch with his sword. He greeted me with a smirk. " Welcome home."

I must have looked like a total fool, mouth gaping at the debris set before me. I couldn't muster out a single word.

Sephiroth held the arm of my couch with a gloved hand and gave a jerk. My couch was halved and presently stands on a single hind and front leg. Apparently bored, he dropped what he was doing and marched towards me, his sword in tow. I was only too aware of the way the sharp blade scratched the polished floor, making a screeching noise. His eyes held mine, a defiant streak in them.

"I told you, I needed practice. Your house makes a poor alternative for a training ground, but I will just have to make do with it, don't I?"

I nearly flipped at his impossibly ugly display of immaturity. With strength and fury I never knew existed in me, I seized him by the sleeve.

"Stop being ridiculous. This is not a time for child's play. There are spies, everywhere! Shinra is not going to go easy on the people living here just because they thought Sephiroth is dead. If those spies were to catch sight of your existence, in MY place, it will implicate me and the experiment. I wasn't threatening you when I said that the end of Gelnika would mean end of victory of Ancients against humans. I dedicated my life to this, can you? For just a few more weeks?!"

I let go of his sleeve and stepped to the side. Unable to cast another look at the domestic catastrophe, I heaved a sigh before storming into my room, slamming the door behind me in frustration.

When I emerged from my room after a much needed rest, it was already dark. I lit up the room and proceeded to clear off the debris. Never was there a minute where I did not contemplate on my decision to harbor this dangerous creature of a fallen warrior. He was unpredictable, irrational and deadly. I managed to heap all of the junk of my furniture into a large trash bag, and was turning towards the chute when I sensed breathing. Very close to me. Terror seized me when I saw a towering figure hidden in the shadows at the corner of the hat stand just beside me. It was that familiar chilling stare.

"What on earth are you doing, creeping up on me like that?"

"Didn't you mentioned…spies? I have to keep myself hidden, don't I? I can tackle anyone who would come through this door into the house."

At this point in time, I decided I wasn't simply angry and scared, but am well going mad.

* * *

Thankfully over the next few days, his obscure antics began to die down. This was not done without a few serious compromises on my side.

"My sleeve is torn.", he commented, observing the large cloak in his hands.

"Didn't I got you a few sets of clothes? The leather parts on your old clothes are mouldy, there's no use for them any longer."

"This is part of what defines Sephiroth. And I say, it will be mended."

I took the cloak from him sullenly and went about to search for my sewing kit. I didn't want to run the risk of having my clothes shredded up, after a taste of that furniture hacking episode.

What a bothersome man, I thought, as I hoisted myself up the stepstool to retrieve the sewing kit on the upper shelves. Then the stepstool gave way, and I crashed into a heap, crushing my ankle beneath me.

I knew I tore a muscle somewhere. The pain was indeed excruciating, but my mood was even lousier. Why was I that charitable, that I had to mend his clothes, cook his meals? I could have easily drugged him every time he gain consciousness and work on this specimen in whatever way I like. In fact, that is what I will do in the coming days.

Obviously, the ruckus in the kitchen caused him to remove himself from his reclining and to venture forth in curiosity.

An amused glint flashed in his eyes.

"Need my help?"

I rolled my eyes and held out my hand. When I tried to stand on my feet, the pain jolted up my ankle and I was about to fall again when he held me up with both of his arms. Damn. The foot injury was worse than I thought.

"I thought your attack was only limited to the living room. The furniture destroying a few days ago."

He set me on my bed.

"You are right. I didn't touch the kitchen. Nor hamper with that stool. You were just too heavy for that chair to handle." The nerve of the guy.

He gave a shrug when I ask him if he is wearing out from having to act as a stand-in for my legs. I found it unnecessary to seek a doctor's consultation, and had resorted to the natural heal process while Sephiroth had in the meantime carry me around the house so I could fulfill my duties.

"Carrying you around is hardly testing to my capacities. Just as long as the experiments are going along fine, and I can double my strength against the rest, I am fine with it."

He lifted the weight of me effortlessly. It never fails to amaze me a little, his hair, now swept to his right shoulder. Being in such close proximity allowed me to observe the strands ever more clearly, now I realized it wasn't just the soft molten silver, it had a pleasant smell. Like the mustiness in the air after a rain. His tremendous strength, thankfully enough, is now safely contained within him. This side of him was much easier to live with than the unpredictable one .One could have been fooled, judging from his present behavior, that he wasn't once mad. I guess the way he is conducting himself now is that General Sephiroth before knowledge of the Jenova incident. I felt uneasy almost instantly. If a normal man was launched into madness because of Jenova experiments, I wonder how much more severe he would react if he found out he is manipulated by experimental science a second time, this time by Gelnika.

After I've given him the daily dose, he contemplated me for a few moments.

"You have been doing this for over a month and there isn't progress."

I tried to ignore the voice at the back of my head telling him that if there was any breakthrough at all, it won't be something he's expecting. I scribbled the records in my medical journal.

"I've wasted enough time." He stood up.

"I wish you would stop interrogating me like a criminal. I have enough on my hands to not appreciate the additional stress you are exerting upon me. The experiments."

"The experiments, experiments, experiments!" He seized me by the neck as he lashed out the last word.

"I am sick of hearing that word and nothing else. I don't have much tolerance and this is just about over the limit."

With that he snatched the medical journal from my hands and pulled the book apart.

I was frozen on the chair as the torn pages descend like rain around me. Then I rose and took a few steps toward him before my feet gave way. I grabbed him before I fell.

"You have to stop. Stop!"

Having disposed the remnants of my hard work, he sank to the ground with me.

I released my grasp on him and numbly gathered the shredded pages together.

"What were you thinking…" I whispered. The journal had held records of his progress since Northern Crater. It didn't contain the research material I've done on this project since I started on it 5 years ago…but it was an important reference nonetheless. Yet, what drove me to tears, which I care to add is a rare occurrence, was the unimaginable insanity of this man. Again he relapsed to the man where unpredictability and irrationality followed. And it has taken a mental toll on me.

I remained seated on the ground with a bunch of torn papers in my hands, these thoughts running through me endlessly. All was silent for a long time. Then I heard his footsteps drawing nearer and he came in front of me and bent down. Almost gently he placed another bunch of torn papers, presumably gathered in his vicinity, and left my hands in his hands. He held me in this way for a little while before gathering me in his arms, placed me on the bed in my bed chamber, and shut the door quietly.

Thankfully, that desperate leap I made yesterday did not exacerbate my ankle injury. Miraculously enough, I was able to walk decently after that stint.

He didn't emerge from the home laboratory until nightfall. Neither did I try to force another dose in his skin after that outburst last night. I didn't want to be slaughtered as yet. I sighed as I brought out a bag of potatoes for dinner. He shouldn't be provoked anytime now. A forceful attitude would only render a greater resistance. Acting like a child…I thought, shaking my head.

I turned towards the kitchen counter and saw him standing at the entrance.

"You must assure that the instant progress is made, that I be notified and given the liberty to venture as I will."

I dropped what I was doing and strode past him.

"Need not wait till then. The security at night is less stifling. We can go out now, if you are properly disguised."

* * *

The bar was dim, with soft candle lights on the few tables which were scattered along the borders of a small dance floor. The scent of cigarette smoke and alcohol permeated the air, creating a heaviness which was accentuated by the perspiration of those making moves on the dancing floor.

Sephiroth eyed the place in disgust.

"Why did you bring me here if you fear I would be recognized? Besides, this is hardly the kind of place I was thinking of when I said I need to get out."

"A disguise is supposed to make one unidentifiable. The people here are far too drunk to bother about anything else. Besides, at least one of us needs to interact with people other than each other. Just don't display your violent streak here if you do not wish to cause an alarm."

Indeed, the crowd served to camouflage the queer looking couple. There were figures that cut the hulk of a man, making the imposing frame of Sephiroth less significant. Fia caught sight of a familiar face. Adam was perched on a barstool with a few other men, presumably from SOLDIER as well. The stretch of time which left her both frustrated and helpless from living with Sephiroth made her more elated at the sight of an old friend than in other circumstances.

She clutched him by the arm, causing him to turn around.

"God! Fi, is that you? What are you doing here?"

Telling him she brought Sephiroth out here to chill out was obviously not the answer she'd like to give, considering they might launched into another argument, and more importantly, since there are Shinra men around.

"I was caught up with work, and took a chance to see if I can spot you here."

His soft endearing gaze settled upon Fia, and warm hands closed around her shoulders gently.

"Heyyo…Who's this pretty chick, Adam?"

In their momentary thrill in encountering old friends, both forgotten that they had a small audience. Fia shifted her attention to the 2 other men who had now gathered around them.

"Guys, don't give my friend a hard time. Fia works for Shinra as well. Senior Scientist who used to do check ups for us. Fi, Liam and Dustin." He gestured to the man closer to her who had addressed her, and another with a stubble holding a drink.

"Sorry guys, but we have something to talk about. I'll be back soon." He said as he guided her to the other end of the bar.

"So…are you still doing it?"

She knew instantly what he was referring to.

"Adam, not now."

He gave an exasperated sigh.

"When will you come to your sense?" he grated out.

"Your incessant probing into matters which does not concern you is not going to help. And I am sick of being reminded of the same thing over and over again. Just fucking leave me alone!" She lashed out and stormed to another part of the bar.

Tears were becoming a more frequent occurrence for her, now that everything, Gelnika and Sephiroth has taken a toll on her. Speaking of Sephiroth, she scanned the room anxiously.

"Hey. You okay?" It was Dustin, a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah…I am fine."

"I am not going to ask what went wrong between both of you just now, but I thought a dance might just be able to lighten your spirits for now."

To the hell with him. With everything for now. She thought as she allowed herself to be led to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth stood at a shaded corner, and had observed Fia's every move. He wanted to drag her out, but since she obviously had known acquaintances around her, doing that will only complicate situations. He decided to leave the place alone, when a woman stood in front of him, effectively blocking his path.

"Hi. You look bored. Want to buy me a drink?"

He stared at her incredulously.

She returned with a coquettish eye. She neared him and touched his sleeved arm, her dolly made up face looking up at him. He could deal with guns and swords anytime, but such brazenness? Not a chance in hell.

When Fia and Dustin went back to the bar a third time after all that strenuous dancing, she finally caught sight of him. In a rather interesting position between a wall and a scantily clad female, who was half grinding against him. As if he knew someone was watching, he returned the gaze. In spite of herself, Fia was amused at the helplessness of the cold and stoic man against such affections. She turned to Dustin, intending to call it a night, when she realized that he was also staring at the couple, with a furious glint. And the coquettish female was also staring back, with a seemingly defiant expression. What was going on? Dustin grabbed the surprised Fia and head back to the dance floor, taking up a spot just metres away from Sephiroth and the girl. He began making more aggressive advances on her, a firm grasp on her waist, his eyes never leaving the couple in front of him. The female on the other hand, had similarly edged towards the dance floor and draped her arms around Sephiroth, rubbing slightly against him. That did it. Dustin removed his grasp on Fia and marched furiously towards the girl, seizing her arm.

"You bitch! How dare you?!"

The enraged women responded by landing a resounding slap on his cheek.

"As if you've room to talk!"

The two began a series of hollering and spats that got the rest of the crowd staring.

"You were the one that cheated first! I was on goddamn duty, lady! I slogged like a bull because I wanted to earn enough for us. You had to go out with that freaking sailor! 4 years of wasted shit!"

"Stop drowning in self pity! Have you ever asked me what I really want? All I want was more time with you…yet you.."

Fia, having broke out of the stunned state upon witnessing such a dramatic event, instinctively went forward to the sparring lovers. She was held back by a hold on her elbow. Sephiroth bent and whispered, "We should leave now." As discreetly as possible, they headed for the exit.


	8. Chapter 6

He sank into the soft bed cushions, exhausted. Fia giggled as she recalled the complaints he made on their way home, of how he was not only assaulted by a weaponless female, but "had alcohol practically forced down my throat." She giggled again as she sat on his bed, observing his drunken stupor, before falling gradually into sleep beside him.

She woke up with a slight jerk in the middle of the night. Stared numbly at the ceiling. Heard a steady breathing aside from her own. Turning to the figure beside her, she recalled the events which took place early that night. The accustomed sight in her dark enabled her to make out the chiseled features of his face, which she look upon with a feeling she couldn't describe as yet. One of curiously, fear, incredulity and even amazement. She witnessed his irrational streak of madness and violent frustration. And also the awkwardness gentleness which reminds her of the human which had made the 25 years of his life. Lightly trembling, her finger hesitantly settled on the high cheek bones. Why does he hold so faithfully the illusion of immortality? Because he thinks life has disappointed him? Did he not realize that, unconsciously, he has up till now revealed in his actions, what is considered humane? Her fingers closed gently upon the porcelain skin, a pale glow on his stolid features cast by the moonlight. Unpredictable, bitter loner. Life's losers in an unspeakable loneliness, can seek solace only in the stillness of the night.

She lay on her side, her eyes fixed on the sleeping form beside her. He caused much distress to her existence, perhaps even more than the incentive of keeping him for a scientific project which never seemed to make progress. Yet now, facing him, she did not lament her decision, nor make entreaties for his departure. Instead, a confusion brews within her, a feeling foreign to her she sensed as she stared at the man, full of danger as a warrior, yet also the unpredictability of an insensible child. She moved with uncertainty, closer towards him. Confusion mixed in with a flushed sensation upon her cheeks. Her rapid heartbeat echoing in her head, she closed the distance between their lips. She jerked away from the contact upon a foreign surface at once, disgusted with herself. _This is getting too complicated._ She removed herself from the bed, and was prepared to quit the room when the calculative voice alerted her to the sword of Sephiroth lying by the bedpost. Bending down to inspect the intriguing Masamune, moved by her clinical logicality, she attempted to secretly smuggled the sword out so that she is able to make detailed entries about it, and sell the information when the time is suited. With careful strength and silence she held the massive weapon in her arms, and was proceeding out of the room. Sephiroth leapt out of the bed and with amazing speed, snatched the sword from her arms. She spun around to face a fuming man, similar yet ever so different from the countenance which she stroked minutes ago. What happened later came in a blur, as he whipped his sword in a flourish, placed a blow upon her neck with the blunt edge which would have otherwise seen fresh blood. The impact was nevertheless overwhelming as Fia collapsed on the floor, moments later looking at her hands stained with blood seeping from her left ear.

The blood must have made him forget the fury, because I heard him dropped his sword. His gloved hand held my blood stained ones.

"I was certain it was not the razor edge of my sword that touched you."

I could barely nod.

"The impact must have caused internal bleeding, though. I have a hemorrhage from my ear. Tilt me to the side, and let the blood flow out."

His strong arms held me as the liquid drained from my ears, soaking the wooden paneled flooring to a darker brown. I struggled to remain conscious throughout the whole procedure, lying strength-less against his chest after it was done. My breathing was still labored and my feet were getting clammy. He and I stayed as such while I tried to stay sober.

"You should see a doctor."

I managed a few deep gasps of air before pulling him close.

"No. If they know you are still alive, both of us are done for."

* * *

It was worse than I had expected. The bleeding persisted throughout the day, the migraines more intense and I was constantly shifting out of consciousness. He remain vigil by the bedside, as if moved by a mild guilt for being the cause of the mishap. He had brought up the need for a doctor's treatment, which I flatly refused many a time, at the same time desperately praying that my condition will not worsen to a point where I have to resort to his suggestion. 

"Pass me the towel."

He handed me the cloth, now partially caked in blood. I pressed it gently against my ear and shut my eyes, trying to will the aching sensation at the site.

"Enough."

I opened my eyes and turned to him. Sephiroth rose from the stool and took the towel from my hands, putting it aside.

"You need treatment." he stated, scooping me up from the bed.

"No. Put me down."

He didn't respond as he strode through the door with ease. I tried to stop him by holding on to the doorframe of the main entrance, but the hemorrhage left my attempts much too feeble. Again, I shifted out of consciousness as we entered the streets, now dark and isolated.

* * *

A foreign room greeted me when I opened my eyes. A sterile white and empty room, save for a bedside table. Hospital? 

"You should get more rest. It's only been two hours since the surgery."

I was relieved to see him, yet an anxiety grows within me at the thought of the risk of being disclosed by Shinra.

"Did you see anyone suspicious?"

"I maintained a low profile."

I absently chewed in my lip, contemplating the matter at hand.

"We should leave as soon as possible. Shinra is still very much in control of facilities operating in Midgar. The hospital authorities might report if they recognize you."

He walked over to the window.

"I think they already know."

* * *

One arm draped over his shoulder, Fia managed to move away from the window of her room and step along the narrow platform. The wind beat wildly around her, making it difficult to keep her balance. 

"Don't look down. Just walk." His hand tightened around hers reassuringly.

* * *

We made our way down through the emergency staircase at the back of the hospital and slipped out away from the Shinra cars stationed at the front. 

"We need to pack and leave immediately." I said as we entered the house. "We'll head to the north by car. They won't find us so easily there."

I sought out the medical journals of Gelnika, followed by thick clothing and some cash, thrusting them into a duffel bag. He stood beside me, making me uncomfortable under his stare.

I stopped what I was doing.

"What?" His nonchalance in such an emergency annoyed me a little.

A mischievous glint shone in his eyes. "You need a haircut, to avoid being recognized."

I gave him an incredulous look.

"If there is anyone needing a haircut, it should be you! You are the face that anyone around here can't fail to recognize."

He shrugged. "You can cut mine after your turn."

He brought up his sword and advanced towards me. Instinctively, I shrank from him in fear. The ache in my neck reminded me of what he is capable of. Fear overwhelmed me as he stepped closer and closer.

My body trembled uncontrollably. We are standing so close to each other that I could feel his breath as he spoke.

"I won't hurt you again."

I blinked.

A slight tug on my head caused me to jerk backwards. I stared around me in astonishment, the ground now scattered with my red hair. He placed the heavy sword in my hand, guiding it to his own head and swiftly sniped off the hair, leaving its length swaying at the shoulders.

He looked different, yet somehow, unchanged. His shorter hair did not remove the air of mystery from that countenance. Still, my inquisitiveness got the better of me. I felt the fine strands of hair on my fingers. And touched the smooth skin of his cheek. He bent lower and touched my wound with his lips. I stood still. We remained like this for a while.


	9. Chapter 9

Heading north was my best bet. From the moment he and I stepped out of the hospital to the very point we crossed the gates of Junon, the night seemed to be an endless stretch of nerve wrecking sensations. Much as I hate to prove Adam right by turning to him in my troubled state, I knew I had to swallow my pride in such situations, where survival is the key essential. Besides, Adam is the only person whom I can place my trust in. I was aware that it is in this time of the year that Adam is involved in SHINRA SOLDIER training camps, and his car would be open for use. I was on edge as we scampered silently towards Adam's apartment, where I secure his car keys, scribbled a note and made it off with his car. All this while, I was confronted with conflicting voices within me—one pressing me to persist, to survive this ordeal, another thrusting in my face the realization that I have staked my career, my life, on this incredulous ambition. It made me desperate, uncertain and lost.

I figured that the inner turbulence was just an effect of stress placed on me under those conditions of hot pursuit. It didn't. The tense grip I had on the steering wheel didn't lessen, and the perspiration was starting to collect at the edges.

_What have I got myself into?_

"It is becoming morbidly familiar." His voice ringed deeply in the caked-silence. It was the first time he spoke since we escaped from the hospital. I took a closer look at the surrounding landscape. Indeed, the fields seemed to take on, quite dizzily, swirls of white snow. The lush greenery became scarce, and was soon replaced with dense forests of fir trees, whose appearance took on a certain grimness.

"If we are just heading north, I can take the wheel."

I stared back at him. I was looking into the same face, taking the exact route some months ago when I transported him from the Northern Crater. It was almost as if, without knowledge, he started to acquire traits beyond what is typical of a mere lab object. He was becoming more human, and inducing me to view him this way. The past few months of interaction with him have made him a person with memories which are inevitably linked to mine. Is this the source of my mental conflict? His eyes held the same confusion as I had. I snapped my focus back on the road only to witness the impending collision with a fir tree. I find myself trapped in a body of cold hard stone.

_Damn..move!!_

He thrust forward, seized control of the hands which were cemented on the wheel and jerked the vehicle to a sharp swerve.

I resigned to handing the wheel over to Sephiroth.

* * *

As we delved deeper into the ivory backdrop, I hear the voice drumming incessantly within me once more.

_You have tumbled onto the path of inevitable ruin, your professionalism entangled with your evolving impression of the lab rat. You are losing yourself, your career, your pride, your dedication to science…you are reduced to a mere human made up of those feeble and useless emotions._

I was pressed into making a decision, and I had it. Either him or me. I took a last look at the figure, of whose impression has taken on a human touch, unknowingly, gradually, endearingly. Discreetly, I pulled out the journal which contained the essence of the Gelnika Project, the lifeblood which kept me going for six years, and slipped it out of the window quietly. It was not after we travelled another couple of miles when I began to fumble around in my pockets and my bag, before turning to him in a voice pitched with anxiety.

"I can't find the notebook on our experiments! It must have dropped into the snow when we switched hands on the wheel…," I clutched his hand frantically, "I need it back."

* * *

The buggy burrowed deeper into the North, and colossal glaciers emerged from the side of the route, dominating the landscape. He had urged me to head on to Icicle Inn myself, and that he would catch up with me once he found the book. His response was exactly what I had anticipated, and hoped for. That he would be caught up in the snow, and perish in the place where I first found him, perish with what first brought him to me—Gelnika.


	10. Chapter 10

Conflicting emotions flooded my consciousness as the vehicle traversed across the vast snowy fields.

**The Northern Lands—a chaste pallor silent, beautiful yet devoid of life.**

_Each time I look at your face, I will be reminded of what a failure I have turned out to be. _

**Somehow, this beauty emanated loneliness. Like the face I have grown to be familiar with. **

_Succumbing myself to emotions—I have been reduced to what I have despised most._

**The Northern Lands, shunned by the living who sought the warmth of spring. People feared him. **

_You can go along with what first brought you to me._

**People used him. People never went beyond, to understand him as a person. Those emerald orbs bore into me. Those eyes which held a hostile dubiety, yet enclosed within them a desperate cry to be understood.**

**To be understood as another human, something deserving of any human.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

I slammed the brakes. The impact of halting the car was immediately replaced with the silence of the Northern Lands and the lingering air of solitude that came with it. It was so unbearable that I knew I had to put it to an end. I made a reverse and piloted the vehicle back in a frantic speed. The need to see him, to hold him, to feel him…was overwhelming me.

* * *

Because of the snow, it took me little time to locate the cloaked Sephiroth. I leapt off the vehicle and ran towards him.

Before I could reach him, my foot was caught up in a hole. I looked down and saw that I was standing on a circular, flat structure, which appears to be part of a wall which had crumbled off. The inscriptions on it…Ancient Cetra script? I recognized the arrangement of the hieroglyphic from a book in the Shinra Library. It was the Chamber of the Ancient Wheel of Fate, the magic associated with the Summon material…no doubt.

My breath started to quicken and everything around me melted into darkness.

Materializing ahead of me a scarred hand bounded in rope, its nails caked in blood. I saw tears falling on that hand. A roar of green fire clouded my sight, and before the heat blinded me, it was mellowed with ice shards. Then everything softened into velvety snow, where two pair of hands were folded in sleep. Suddenly I felt a thrust of misery in my heart, a deep agony from a loss which rendered me in utter despondence.

"Fia!"

The darkness, that pain…everything receded, and I saw Sephiroth bolting towards me. I got the breath knocked out of me as he slammed my limp body against a fir tree, and crushed me with his weight.

A deafening wail ripped the silence of the vast lands. The impending arrival of a snowstorm was in the air. Sephiroth ripped off the edge of his cloak and secured us with the trunk of the tree. His chin was tucked protectively on top of my head and he pressed our bodies against the tree with immense strength. I wrapped my arms tightly around Sephiroth's waist and bury my head in his chest, trying desperately to shut myself from the hysterical wailing.

We were engulfed into a chasm of absolute anarchy, where maddening swirls of ice and snow raged around us endlessly. The incessant wailing bore into my head, and the migraine was intensified with the steady drumming of the stampede. My consciousness was gradually losing itself in the energy of the maelstrom.

"Fia…" Sephiroth's whisper against my ears pulled me out of the daze. I pressed myself closer to him out of a desperate desire for comfort.

The perpetuity of the tempest eventually withered. Sephiroth unbound the rope and took a step back. I glanced around gingerly before turning back to him.

"Are you alright?"

A childlike smile spread over his countenance before he pulled out my medical journal, now damped and smothered from the snow, "I found it."

I reached forward and wrapped my arms around him. Never in my life have I experienced such an extent of remorse and an ensuing insatiability for anyone. We were locked in an embrace, that unspeakable yearning for each other. It seemed to transcend even the apparent sempiternity of the snowstorm.

Both of us are taking baby steps and learning for the first time, what it means to be living, and what it means to love.


End file.
